On the Run
by TheUnwantedDemigod
Summary: Modern AU. Cress Darnell is a computer genius, but her skills have gained some unwanted attention. FBI Special Agent Carswell Thorne is supposed to bring her to safety, but he's a little too late. Now Cress and Thorne are on the run, trying to survive near death experience after near death experience. Cresswell.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own The Lunar Chronicles or the characters blah blah blah ;)**

 **Enjoy the story and comment if you want me to continue!**

Cress finished typing and rolled her chair away from her desk. She rubbed her eyes that were glazed over from staring at the various computer monitors for too long. She glanced at her watch: 8:15am. She sighed, she pulled all nighters often, but this one had been painful. She'd been coding since four o'clock the previous afternoon and she'd left her desk only twice.

Cress collapsed on the couch, too tired to go to her room. She pulled out her phone and checked her emails. One particular message caught her eye. She opened it.

From: Harvard University

Crescent Darnell,

We still want you! It's not too late to enroll for our fall semester. You're just the student we want for our STEM program.

Cress didn't finish reading the email. It's not that she didn't want to go to college, she actually kind of did, but there was no way for that to happen. Her main problem was money. As soon as she had turned eighteen, her foster mother, Sybil Mira, had dumped her on the street, leaving her alone and without resources. Luckily, Cress was smart. She immediately started a private business venture. Offering services in computer coding, website design, and the like. Her computer skills were excellent, and it wasn't long before she had enough money to rent her own small apartment and buy her own equipment.

The other reason Cress didn't want to go to college was the people. Cress hated being around people and she avoided others as much as possible. She had never made any friends in school. Her general awkwardness and geeky tendencies drove most potential friends away. That, and her crazy foster mother. Sybil Mira fostered a half dozen kids at a time. She was the kind of person who was only in it for the money, as soon as the kids aged out, she ditched then.

Cress had been in and out of foster homes as long as she could remember. As far as she knew, her parents had given her up at birth, though she wasn't sure why. The last time she had asked one of the social workers about it, they had said no one really knew what had happened to her parents. Cress also guessed that no one really cared.

A sudden knock at the door of her apartment caused her to jump. She glanced down at her rumpled t-shirt and sweatpants. As she made her way to the door, she ran her fingers through her long blonde locks in a hopeless attempt to untangle then.

Cress opened the door and tried not to gape. A tall, well dressed, extremely handsome man was standing at her doorstep. His brown hair was carefully styled, not a hair out of place. His face was clean shaven, his features pleasing to the eye. She could tell he was muscular, even in his suit and pressed white shirt. He looked her over with bright blue eyes that would make any woman swoon.

"Are you Crescent Darnell?" he asked.

"Um... yes... sir," she squeaked.

"I'm Special Agent Carswell Thorne, FBI," he quickly showed her his credentials. "Ma'am I'm going to need you to come with me please."


	2. Chapter 2

Cress panicked inwardly. She hadn't done any illegal hacking in, what three months? Okay, so it hadn't been that long, but she knew she'd covered her tracks well. She tried to think of other reasons the FBI would want her.

"Ma'am?" Agent Thorne's voice pulled her back out of her hurried thoughts.

"Wh... why does the FBI want me?" she asked nervously.

The agent leaned forward conspiratorially. Cress smelled strong cologne wafting from him. "We have reason to believe that you're being targeted. I can't say by whom or why yet, but I need you to come with me."

Cress stared at him, trying not let his handsome features distract her. "Oh. Okay, could I maybe go change first?" she asked.

Agent Thorne considered for a moment, "Alright, but make it quick, I'll be out here waiting for you."

Cress immediately slipped back inside and closed the door. She was being targeted? What did that even mean? Why was the FBI involved? She rushed back into her bedroom, her exhaustion forgotten.

Cress dug through piles of laundry, trying to find something decently clean. She found a gray t-shirt and a pair of dark jeans that seemed like they had been washed recently. She quickly changed and grabbed a hunter green jacket to wear with the outfit. She hurried into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and washed her face. She spent a few minutes trying to run a brush through her tangled hair and finally just put up in a messy bun. She grabbed her backpack and shoved her laptop into it. Finally, she grabbed a granola bar and hurried back to the door.

She stopped and took a deep breath before opening it to reveal Agent Carswell Thorne leaning against the opposite wall, staring at his phone.

He glanced up at her, eyebrows raised. "Ready?" he asked.

Cress nodded, afraid to speak for fear of squealing. The agent was even hotter than she'd realized when she first saw him. She self-consciously shifted her backpack from one shoulder to the other.

"Alright, let's go," the agent pocketed his phone and strode down the hall toward the elevators. Cress scurried to keep up. They got into one of the elevators and rode down from the seventh floor to the basement parking garage. Cress stared at the ground, anxious to avoid eye contact. When the elevator door opened, Agent Thorne led the way, "Follow me ma'am," he said.

"Oh, you can just call me Cress," she hurriedly said. It made her uncomfortable to be called ma'am by sometime at least a couple of years older then her.

"Okay," he replied. "Cress it is, but only if you call me Thorne, or Agent Thorne if you really want to."

He pulled some keys out of his pocket and unlocked a black sedan, the typical car you'd assume government agents world have. Agent Thorne opened the passenger door for her and she hopped inside, setting her backpack in her lap. Thorne went around to the other side of the car and got inside. He started the car and pulled out of the parking garage.

"So... what's this about me being targeted?" Cress asked.

"You'll be fully briefed at headquarters. We should be there in about thirty minutes."

Cress wrinkled her nose, "Will you at least give me a hint?"

Thorne glanced over at her, smirking. "Let's just say your advanced technical skills have drawn the attention of some shady characters. Your young age and gender also make you an easier target."

"I'm nineteen," Cress muttered, trying not let any fear show on her face.

Thorne smirked again, "Right."

"Well, how old are you?" She blurted without thinking.

Thorne raised an eyebrow, "I'm twenty-three," he said.

Cress but her lip. He was older then she expected. Of course it didn't really matter. He was just an agent who was taking her to FBI headquarters, though she didn't really know why. A sudden thought struck her. What if he wasn't really an agent? What if this was an elaborate scheme to kidnap her? Cress gulped.

Before she could think of anything to do, Thorne's phone rang. He pulled it out and answered it as he pulled out onto a freeway.

"Hello? Yeah, I've got her... No she didn't give me any trouble."

Cress stared to panic. Maybe this really was a kidnapping. Her imagination began to run wild. She glanced around the car, looking for something she could use to protect herself.

"Alright, I'll be there in twenty." Thorne ended the call and crammed the phone back into his pocket.

"Who was that?" Cress asked nervously.

"Oh, that was just Cinder, she's the head agent of my team."

Cress sighed with relief.

"You'll meet her soon, I think you'll like her."

Cress nodded, "Sounds great."

They continued in silence. After a while, Cress noticed Thorne was checking his rearview mirror a lot.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

Thorne hesitated, "I'm sure it's nothing."

A couple of minutes later, the car swerved, Thorne cursed. Cress looked over her shoulder to see a dark blue SUV cutting into their lane from the left side. They were already in the furthest right lane, so the only thing between them and a steep embankment was the narrow berm. The SUV started cutting toward them again. Cress screamed.

Thorne gritted his teeth, not daring to go any faster for fear of hitting a particularly slow car ahead of them. Cress closed her eyes, feeling a slight grinding as the other vehicle pushed up against them, nearly running them off the road.

Thorne cursed again. "Hold on," he grunted.

Cress clutched he backpack in her lap.

With a final bump, the SUV pushed them off the road. The sedan rolled once, then twice. Cress felt the side of her head slam violently into the window next to her. The airbags went off and she heard Thorne grunt. They stopped rolling at the bottom of the embankment, luckily the car had come to a stop in an upright position.

Cress felt blood trickle down the side of her face where her head had hit the window, she groaned.

"Are you okay?" Thorne asked.

"Ummm... I think so. I'm not really sure." No matter how hard she tried, Cress could not stop the tears that started to flow down her cheeks.

Thorne put a hand on her shoulder, making her jump. "It's going to be okay Cress, I'll get us out of here."

Cress nodded, covering her mouth with her hand to keep a sob from escaping her.

Thorne unbuckled his seatbelt and gingerly opened his door. He stepped out into the grass, surveying the area. He walked around to the other side of the car and opened the passenger side door. "I don't think they followed us down here," he said. "Do you feel any broken bones?"

Cress moved her arms and legs, "I don't think so, my left wrist sort of hurts, but other then that I'm fine."

Thorne reached up and touched the side of her head. Cress winced. "Sorry," he said. "This looks like it might need stiches."

Cress reached up and felt the side of her head again. When she pulled her hand away her fingers were sticky with blood. Her stomach flipped and she leaned her head back against the seat. Cress took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, Thorne was holding his cell phone to his ear, frowning.

"Hey, Cinder it's me, call me back as soon as you can. It's an emergency." When Thorne ended the call he immediately dialed another number. When there was no answer he tried another. After no response, Thorne stuffed his phone back into his pocket angrily. "I wish Iko and Scarlet would answer their stupid phones for once."

"Iko and Scarlet?" Cress asked.

"Two other members of my team," he said. "It's weird though, Iko almost always answers right away. And after calling all three of them, you'd think someone would at least call back." Thorne looked back at Cress. "Oh stars! Your head is looking really bad. Just hold on a second."

Cress followed him with her eyes, but she was starting to feel light-headed. She heard the trunk of the sedan slam closed, another door opened. Agent Thorne came into view again. He gently scooped her up, holding her close against him. Normally, Cress would have been thrilled to be picked up by someone as handsome and charming as Thorne, but all she could focus on was the throbbing pain in the back of her skull...


	3. Chapter 3

_Hi guys, sorry it took me so long to update! I've been working on an original story so I haven't had much time to work on this, I'm going to start writing this again though, so look for more updates soon! -TheUnwantedDemigod_

* * *

When Cress opened her eyes, it took her a minute to orient herself. She was sprawled across the backseat of a car, a bandage wrapped around aching head. Suddenly, she realized where she was, "so it wasn't a dream,' she muttered.

Special Agent Carswell Thorne appeared in the doorway of the Sedan. "Oh good, you're awake," he said. He was no longer wearing his suit coat, and his once pristine white shirt now had dirt and grease stains on it. His hair was messy, but Cress thought it actually looked kind of nice that way.

"How's your head?" he asked, startling her.

"It still really hurts," Cress admitted.

"I'll bet, you really whacked it good," he said with a grimace.

"Are you okay?" she asked, realizing guiltily that she had never asked him.

"Oh, I'm fine," he said nonchalantly. "A few bruises and scratches, but I'm okay."

Cress carefully sat up, grimacing at the major headache she felt coming on.

"I got the gash on your head to stop bleeding for now," Thorne said. "You should probably get it stitched up though."

Cress felt a wave of nausea roll through her. Not only because of her headache, but also at the thought of a needle coming near her head.

"I don't want to rush you," Thorne said glancing around nervously, "but we need to get out of here as soon as we can. We've already been camped out here for almost an hour, and honestly I'm surprised no one has come for us yet."

Cress slid toward the edge of the seat, cautiously slipping out of the car. Her head swam, but Thorne caught her and helped her keep her balance.

Thorne's phone rang, causing both of them to jump. He quickly pulled it out of his pocket and answered it. "Hello? Yeah, Cinder where have you been?... You think you've had some complications!... What?... How... oh...did you see- yeah I'm sure it was. Are you and Iko alright? Okay good, listen, someone ran us off the road... yeah, I guess you're right. Anyway, we'll have to start walking toward the closest town... yes, I'm fine, Cress- I mean Miss Darnel has a gash on her head, probably a concussion too... Okay, will do, call me as soon as you can... yeah you too, bye."

Cress watched Thorne expectantly as he put his phone away. "What's up?" she asked.

"Well, Scarlet, my partner, she was kidnapped." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"But how?" Cress asked, incredulous.

"I don't know, but Cinder and I both think it was the same people who tried to kill us."

Cress shivered at the word kill. Sure, they'd been run off the road, but a murder attempt was not how she wanted to look at it.

"Everything will be fine," Thorne reassured her. "We're going to start walking until someone can come pick us up. Are you ready to go?"

Cress nodded, "as ready as I can be I guess, " she said.

Thorne checked the GPS app on his phone and they were off. Cress carrying her backpack, Thorne carrying some kind of briefcase.

"Are you ever going to explain what's going on?" Cress asked as they walked.

"I'd rather not out in the open," Thorne said.

"Someone just tried to kill us! I'd like to know why!" Cress said rather frantically.

"Okay, okay," Thorne relented. "I'll give you... a brief synopsis."

"Thank you."

"There's a terrorist cell hiding out somewhere in Egypt called Alqamar. The leader, a woman named Levanna, is blackmailing governments within the UN. She's been threatening attacks from operatives spread all throughout the world if she doesn't get what she wants."

"What does she want?" Cress asked.

"Money, power, the usual stuff. We had an informant on the inside who recently warned us that Alqamar wants you."

"Why me?" Cress squeaked.

"I guess they think you'd be a valuable asset and easy to persuade."

Cress harumphed. "What about the one they just took-"

"Scarlet."

"Yeah her, can't your man on the inside get her out?"

"Well normally yes, but he went off the grid three days ago and we don't know where he is."

"Oh," Cress said.

They lapsed into silence. Eventually, they had to climb up to the open road and walk carefully on the side of the highway.

"The next exit isn't far," Thorne said.

When they reached said exit, Thorne made sure to walk between Cress and the road.

"What are we going to do now?" Cress wondered.

"Hopefully Cinder or Iko will come pick us up, until then we'll have to lie low. How's your head? It hasn't started bleeding again has it?"

"No, it's fine for now," Cress said. "Just pounding."

Thorne grimaced. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

Cress glanced sideways at him, "It's not your fault," she said.

"I know, I just should have gotten you out of there earlier or something, I don't know."

They kept walking until they finally reached a gas station.

"Stay here," Thorne said, "I'll go get some water and stuff from inside."

"Okay," Cress said.

Once Thorne was inside, Cress glanced around warily. She felt a prickle at the back of her neck. Suddenly, standing alone outside of a gas station didn't seem like the smartest idea. Cress was just about to follow Thorne into the gas station when she felt a hand clamp over her mouth.


End file.
